2. Think of life as a prototype.
Conduct experiments, make discoveries, change as needed. Any process can be re-examined and tweaked. Look for opportunities to turn a process into a project with a tangible outcome.

4. Demand divergent options.
Don’t settle for the first good idea that comes to mind or seize on the first promising solution presented to you. Explore divergent options—and then set a deadline so you know when to move on.

5. Once a day, deeply observe the ordinary.
Make it a rule that at least once a day you will stop and take a second look at some ordinary situation that you would normally look at only once (or not at all). Get out in the world and be inspired by people.

Tim Brown

6 responses to 5 Ways to Begin Designing Your Life in 2013

Hi Tim,
yourself have once said that the ‘design process is best described as a
system of spaces rather than a series of orderly steps.’ When design
thinking is applied to life, how do you advise we see life as a ‘system of spaces’?
Thanks,
Marun

Thanks Tim, I love these (life) design ideas, and they are all very aligned with my work. In fact, here is my observation of the (beauty in the) ordinary from yesterday: http://instagram.com/p/UO67abGvNK/

Hi Tim,
After coming up with a few good redesigns of items that already exist, where do we go from here? A patent is too costly, as we have already paid for one. I have many ideas, but don’t know who to turn to. Someone like you and David Kelley would be key to my ideas’ success.
I invented something called the Bax Scrubb shower pad, and sell them on Amazon with a 4.9-star rating, however I am limited since money is so tight. In spite of the fact that we haven’t dropped a dime on advertising, my husband and I have sold nearly $20,000.00 worth of them. I am passionate about design and have a background in graphic art. Got any ideas for me?
Best regards,
Richard and Rebecca Dole, West Newbury, MA